Israeli leader calls for independent Kurdistan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the media in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2014. Netanyahu has condemned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' agreement with the militant group, and said he would hold him responsible for the safety of the youths, who disappeared apparently while hitchhiking in the West Bank late Thursday. (AP Photos/Dan Balilty)

TEL AVIV, Israel — Citing the chaos in Iraq, Israel's prime minister has called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan as part of a broader alliance between Israel and moderate forces across the region.

In a policy speech Sunday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that Israel would have to maintain a long-term military presence throughout the West Bank, even after any future deal with the Palestinians.

The positions put him at odds with the international community, which favors an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank to make way for an independent state. Israel's key ally, the United States, has also spoken out against carving up Iraq and creating an independent Kurdistan.